The MASTER CLEANSER - days 1-30

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Starting out at 254 lbs, and a size 24 pant and 22 top, I have dabbled in the raw lifestyle for the last couple of years, but have had a challenge staying mostly raw for any length of time. Unfortunately I am sensitive to several foods, including wheat, yeast and eggs so venturing away from a raw, vegan menu can cause even more toxic problems for me. I have cut these foods out of my diet and on the advice of my chiropractor done an herbal detox several times with a 20lb weight loss and many other health improvements. I had lost 50 lbs and then the old habits crept back in and before I knew it I had gained 6 pounds and was heading in the wrong direction. I also felt toxic. In an effort to break some of my food addictions and to detoxify myself I decided to follow Miranda Martinez and do a 30 day Master Cleanse. Miranda has a website and blog at vivaraw.com and vivarawblog.com . My goal is to go 90-100% raw vegan and stay that way.

I did a couple of days of light eating and then juice the day before the Master Cleanse.

Day 1: I worked in the yard all day and was a little hungry from time to time. Overall I felt fine though tired after all planting our vegetables, herbs and flowers all day. I didn’t realize I was supposed to do the Salt Water Flush (SWF) every day. I had no BM. My face is very broken out with acne. I know this is a side effect of the toxins in my system. Weight: 210.5

Day 2: I lost 3 pounds. I was a little irritable today. My hunger pangs improved. I tried the SWF in the evening. It didn’t work. I went to bed feeling cold, feverish, bloated and tired. I didn’t sleep very well. No BM. Weight: 207.5

Day 3: I was up 1 pound but I think it was from all the salt water I drank the night before. I drank a cup of Senna tea in the morning. I had to work at my second job and I was hungry around 6pm but had run out of lemonade. I drank extra water and was fine as the evening went on. My energy was fine. I drank a cup of Senna tea in the evening. Finally, a BM. WOO HOO. Weight 208.5

Day 4: I was down 3 pounds. I did the SWF in the morning with some success. I also had a cup of Senna tea. I craved potato chips or something “salty” in the afternoon. I do not eat a lot of salt but a few weeks ago I found myself going through a couple of bags of the salty chips in just a few days. In general I felt fine. Energy level was up. I did another SWF in the evening. I am completely cleaned out of solid waste. I have to rely on the flush to do its thing. Weight 205.5

Day 5: I was up .5 pound this morning, again I did the SWF last night. I did not do the SWF this morning and will wait until tomorrow morning to do my next one. I brought 64oz of lemonade with me today as I have to work this evening. My tummy has been really noisy but it isn’t hunger. In general I feel fine, though I could use a spinal adjustment. It is hard to tell if my neck is just out of alignment or if I am developing an ever so slight headache. Either way I will survive. I will have a cup of tea this evening.

Day 6: I was down 1 pound today. I did the SWF this morning and the toxic feelings went away. I am sleeping better but noticed that I am not sleeping as much with just as much energy. Some days though I feel a little irritable. I upped my water intake, and attempting to drink ½ of my weight in ounces on top of the 64 oz I drink of the lemonade. Weight: 204.5

Day 7: Last night I dreamt of eating out of control. I remember distinctly having macaroni and cheese. I am not a huge fan, mind you but the stress from knowing that the wheat in the noodles was going to negate my efforts on this cleanse was enough to wake me up. I find that kind of funny, both odd and humorous. Today I did the SWF and I had lemon water enema perhaps in an effort to cleanse me from my dreams. My tummy grumbled about it all day long. I am not sure I will do that again any time soon, but who knows. I did housework all day. I had plenty of energy. Weight: 203

Day 8: I did the SWF this morning. I woke up relatively early and decided to go work out in the yard on the landscaping. That is tough work. I did this for several hours. I had some potato chip cravings and a little hunger this evening. My boyfriend plopped down in front of the TV with a huge Hershey bar and jar of peanut butter. He was kind enough to go eat it elsewhere. I fixed myself a cup of Senna tea with lemon and a little agave nectar. It curbed the hunger. I noticed that my headaches and pains are all clearing up. Smells are also more noticeable. I don’t notice any morning mucus even when sleeping with the windows open. It is kind of nice. Weight 202.5

Day 9: I woke up early this morning, 5:45am to make sure I got my SWF in. Right after I felt the tea working from the night before. Yuck. Things are going along fine otherwise. I feel pretty good and I am down another half pound today. I am a little hungry but noticed that I am busy at work and not drinking the lemonade as often as I probably should. I am happy to see improvement in my complexion. It is noticeable. I have a slight headache. Weight 202

DAY 10: Woo Hoo I am 1/3 of the way done. Today I woke up feeling pretty good and weighed in 1 pound less. I switched things up today with my lemonade mix. I used limes and agave nectar instead of lemon and maple. It is different and though the less expensive for the nectar it is more expensive for the limes. I think I prefer the lemonade though this was a nice change. My energy is up and I am feeling really good today. My smaller clothes are fitting better and my larger clothes are too big.
My weight today is 201.

I learned this the other day and I thought it was interesting. The body goes through 3 cycles every day. They are:

If you are doing any kind of SWF or enema it is best to do it in the morning first thing when the body naturally is in cleansing mode.

Day 11: I was tired early last night so I went to bed about 9:45pm. I didn't sleep soundly and I finally woke up at 5:30am and got up. I was 1/2 pound heavier this morning but I always weigh more when I don't get a good night's sleep. I felt drained, had a slight headache, and I had a little sinus congestion and drainage. Can anyone say DETOX!! I am very tired today and I don't feel all that well. I am back to my lemonade instead of the lime mix I had yesterday. On the bright note, my tongue is starting to show signs of turning pink. I am glad to be a third of the way through with the detox. I am looking forward to some fresh fruit and veggies when I am done. I feel confident I will get to ONEDERLAND this week!! Weight 201.5

Day 12: I was cold all day yesterday which I failed to mention. I was tired early last night so I went to bed early. I woke up feeling more like myself and another pound lighter. My SWF was very productive and I feel pretty good today. Weight 200.5

Day 13: I did it!! I lost a pound yesterday which put me under 200 and into ONEderland. It is a magical place to which I had not been for over 6 years. I have decided to move here and never return to the land of over 200. ONEderland is WONderful!! I have started drinking the senna tea in the evening. One thing I notice is that I have a headache in the AM which means either I am removing toxins and they are floating around until flushed out OR I am sensitive to the tea that I am drinking. Weight 199.5

DAY 14: I woke up again with another headache after drinking the tea last night. I lost another 1.5 pounds though!! I am scheduled for a blood test today around 1pm. I will have been water fasting for about 12 hours then. I am curious to see how it all pans out. I have had my blood pressure checked recently and it was 110/63. I normally run anywhere from 117/73 to 120/80. At my heaviest it was 140/93. My cholesterol has dropped also. Overall at my heaviest it was about 230. The last time I had it checked which was 90 days ago it was 189. I heard that this lemonade drink will raise your triglycerides. I guess we will see!! Weight 198.

Day 15: The Master Cleanser is what I am doing. You can find details on the program at www.themastercleanse.org You really need to be in the mindset of cleansing as I would never advise it as a weight loss program. It is not easy to do but the results can be fabulous. It cleanses multiple organs and systems at once. I am ecstatic over my own results and the way I feel. I would also not advise it if you have never done any other kind of cleanse as it is pretty extreme.

Yesterday I had a toxic headache all day long. I was able to relieve it with an enema. I had my first closed system colonic today and it was WONDERFUL. My therapist was knowledgeable and massaged my abdomen and feet (reflexology) through the process. I have a large build up of Candida yeast in my intestines and I was amazed at how much was flushed out. I feel absolutely terrific today. It was such a good experience that I bought 5 more sessions in advance!
I weighed 1 pound less this morning. I can tell my body is finally letting go of my food addictions. I say good riddance! My weight is now 197.

DAY 16: I am down 1.5 pounds today. I probably would have lost a little more but I didn't get much sleep last night and I always weigh a little more the less sleep I have. Despite the lack of sleep, I have a lot of energy and I feel really good. I am VERY happy with the results and I am hopeful that tomorrow will mark 60 pounds gone!!!! I am finally able to fit in my old jeans. They are regular size 18 which is a long way away from Women's 24. I know I have some 16s in my closet and may even have a 14 but I doubt it. One thing I noticed is that since I haven't worn these jeans in 6 years they are pretty much out of style. I don't plan to be in them long enough for anyone to notice. I weighed 195.5 today.

Day 17: Do'h...I was up half a pound today. I feel fine though. I am sure my body is just adjusting. I picked up a couple of really good books. One is 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Raw'. I like to think I am not a complete idiot but it is pretty good. :) I am so ready to be off of the fast but I am going to follow through with my goal of 30 days and use the time to prepare my kitchen and my mind for a raw food lifestyle. Yayyyy me! Weight 196

Day 18: Well, I drank two cups of senna tea yesterday and today I weighed a pound and a half more than yesterday. The tea makes me gassy and I really don't feel all that well today. I feel very bloated and crampy. Ugh!! No more tea for me. The flush works fine. The only other thing I have changed is that i have added some probiotics, healthy yeast and fish oil supplements to my intake at the request of my doctor and the colon hydrotherapist. I really just want to go home and lay down. This too shall pass though and I will soon be back on track. My weight is 197.5

update: I have been super hungry the last two days. I have decided to cut out the supplements and not do the tea anymore as I think that is what is making me feel bloated and gassy. I went home feeling ill today. I felt better in the afternoon and evening.

Day 19: I was down 1/2 pound and feeling better. My tongue is really starting to clear up. I did have a slight tummy ache last night and then had a little movement which is odd for the evening. I think it was the supplements finally working their way out. I went to bed a little earlier last night as I was kind of tired. Weight 197.

Day 20: I am 2/3 the way done!! I was down a pound and a half today so I am right where I was on Monday. I did the salt water flush this morning and used a little less salt. I noticed that my sense of smell is becoming a little sharper. I wish I could say that was a good thing, but I am noticing the folks who don't take good care of themselves (smoking, drinking and eating the SAD Diet) or are not clean on the inside have a not so pleasant odor. It is something I never noticed before, probably because I suffered right along with them. It is sad. My tongue this morning looked about 90% clear. It now only has an ever so slight coating but it is almost gone. I am tickled and looking forward to making some raw yummy food when I am done. I just bought some new books and they are really good. One is the Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw and another is The Complete book of Raw Food - second edition. I got two others as well and there are so many yummy recipes that I am looking forward to making!! I am planning my menu now so if if there are any long preps like for sprouting, I will be ready ahead of time. It is very exciting! Weight 195.5

Day 21: I felt good today. My tongue is pretty much pink and my face is clearing up from the acne. I lost 1.5 pounds. I measured today too and I have lost several inches in my waist and my hips...where I carry the majority of my fat. That was exciting. I tend to be cold when others are hot. I am comfortable in a 78 degree room while my boyfriend and dog are both uncomfortably warm. I sleep with extra blankets when my boyfriend sleeps with just the sheet and is still uncomfortable. I am usually the one who is hot. It is a nice change when the weather outside is in the 90’s and humid!! Weight 194

Day 22: May 10, 2009 (Mother's Day) I lost another pound. I woke up with a headache and felt dehydrated. I didn't drink enough water yesterday and I can tell it today. I will try to drink a lot more to make up for it today. I actually slept in today. I had to make myself since I was ready to get up at 6 am. I am hoping to be 185 or less by the time I go to Florida which is June 4th. I have 8 more days of the detox fast and 8 more pounds to go. Weight 193

Day 23: I gained a pound and only lost 1.5 pounds for the week. I am certainly ok with this result as I am doing this for the cleansing not for the weight loss. I have to admit though I am a little disappointed...but only just a little. I am experiencing some detox going on. My sinuses are draining a little and I have spent a little time on the potty releasing some old intestinal gunk. I am glad to be ridding myself of it but it makes me wonder if so late in the detox if I shouldn't stay on the Master Cleanser a little longer than planned. My last day on the Cleanser will be next Monday. My weight is 194.

Day 24: Well, I lost the pound again. I feel ok. I have started adding more water to my drink in hopes it will help me get in my entire water intake in. The fresh juice today was really good. My weight is 193.

Day 25: I didn’t lose anything. I woke feeling a little headache and my sinuses are a little runny. I felt fine all day. My tongue is definitely pink. I desire to come off of the fast. I only have a few days left on it. I went in for a FAR Infrared sauna treatment. It was a little hotter than I would have liked but overall, I did sweat and it felt good. My skin felt so soft afterward. I didn’t drink that much lemonade today, but I did have a lot of water. My weight is 193.

Day 26: I lost half a pound. My weight loss has slowed drastically. That is fine since I am doing this more to detox and prepare to go raw. The sad thing is that I am starting to get hungry. Food smells so delicious lately…even the bad stuff. I am not really craving anything but I am physically hungry and I want to chew. The hunger is in my mouth and down into my tummy. It is true hunger though it comes and goes it is starting to become more apparent. I have set a date with my friends to go to the new Bliss Raw Café that opened earlier this month. We are all looking forward to it as they are all doing some degree of a raw lifestyle. It should be good. I had a headache and sinus drainage this morning. I got my blood work back and my cholesterol looks pretty good with an overall of 173. My triglycerides and HDL are good but my LDL, though it has dropped 21 points over the last year, is still elevated at 108. My doctor wants to put me on LDL fish oil. I don’t know how I feel about that since I am trying to detox and live a vegan lifestyle. I haven’t used them yet and my LDL has been dropping on its own. We will see what she says this weekend. My weight is 192.5

Day 27: Well I was up half a pound today. I did not get enough sleep as I had to work last night and went to be a bit past midnight. I got up at my usual 5:45am. I usually go to bed in the 10pm hour. Ok, so aside from my tongue being clear and the weight no longer falling I have also noticed that I am getting hungry. These are all key signs to knowing when to come off of a fast. Continuing could mean slipping into a starvation mode instead of a cleansing mode. I have decided to end my fast even though it is not 30 days. Since I decided this morning that it is time to come off of the fast, I wasn't prepared. So I stopped at the Central Market health food store and picked up some non pasteurized fresh squeezed orange juice. I don't know if it is organic or not but I will pick up some organic oranges this afternoon and make the rest myself. I feel pretty good but I didn't do a SWF today and I have a slight headache. I have my 100 oz of water and I am trying to get it all in. I have probably drunk about half of it and it is lunchtime today. Technically I am still fasting on juice but I am no longer doing the lemonade cleanse at this point. I am excited and ready to come off thought it was not an unpleasant experience. I am happy with the results. I have a colonic tomorrow and I will start taking my probiotics and fish oil this afternoon. My weight is 193.

Day 28. I was two pounds lighter this morning. Yesterday went pretty well. I drank fresh squeezed, unprocessed orange juice all day yesterday, stopping at 8:00pm. I had 100 oz of water. I got enough rest and had to get up at 7am this morning. I had a lot of stuff to do today, including a colonic and a trip to see my chiropractor. The colonic showed me to have a lot of yeast so my chiropractor put me on a supplement that will help get rid of it. Cool! We also talked about the LDL fish oil and she said as long as my LDL continues to drop I won't need to include that supplement. I am going to research some plant sources of Omega 3s. If I can't find any good ones then I am ok with taking fish oil I guess. We will see how it goes. I had fresh squeezed oj that I prepared myself last night. I also got in 100 oz of water today. I started my probiotics and fish oil. I also started the new supplement the doctor put me on today. The evening was fun. I saw friends and they all raved at how great and healthy I looked. I ate a banana and two dates over a few hours as they all snacked on junk food. A few tried the dates and liked them. It was VERY filling and fulfilling to know I can be in social events and still eat healthy. Weight 191

Day 29: Well, I woke up with a slight headache. I was also down another pound. I have a couple of oranges to eat today, but will probably go to the store and get some other things to juice. I may have a blended meal too. I am not really all that sure, going to see how it goes. I took my liquid vitamins this morning and I am drinking down some fresh clean filtered water before I do anything. My weight is 190.

Day 30: I am now eating small amounts of solids. Yesterday I had a half of an organic orange for breakfast and the other half as a mid morning snack. For lunch I had half an avocado and a cup of soup. For dinner I juiced an organic watermelon, rhine and all. I also took all of my usual supplements including the fish oil. I didn't feel all that well the second half of the day. I think the solids are pushing out the remainder of the toxins stuck in my colon. This morning I woke up the same weight 190, so I attribute the Master Cleanse with a 20.5 pound weight loss. It was a great experience for me and I am happy with the results. Not only with the weight loss but especially with the freeing feeling of no longer being tied to certain foods. I feel very empowered. It is not taking very much food to satisfy me. Today I had some organic watermelon for breakfast and mid morning snack. I have already had 50 oz of water and my morning supplements. For lunch I brought organic romaine lettuce wraps, stuffed with tomato, cilantro, onion, avocado, and alfalfa sprouts. I have a banana in case that is not enough for me today but I am sure it will be. For dinner I will make a better than V8 fresh organic vegetable juice. YUM!! Today I wore a pair of size 16 slacks and a size 14/16 top. Ending weight for the Master Cleanse - 190 lbs.

MELLOWMELANIE
YEAHHHH!Hurrah!I admire you!!!I am on day 8 of the maser cleanse. Little by little I am getting used to it. I am doing 10 days at a time, just seeing how far I an go. I would like to do 30 to 40 days. I see this as a hard reset for my entire body. I means a lot to me to find someone here who did the cleanse for at least 30 days.Thank you!1974 days ago

NAPTURALEMPRESS
Great Blog... I am thinking of doing the Master Cleanse diet from next week Monday just for 10 days though. Your blog gave me great encouragement. Who Knows? I might be able to go at least 20 days instead.

CAT0805
hi there, just got onto your page by accident and have to say congratulations on the cleanse!!! that's an amazing achievement!!I tried to do 7 days but only managed 5, but did feel some benefits after this....so inspired by you though!!!congrats!!xx

WILD4STARS
I have a friend who does the Master Cleanse, but I'm pretty sure she only does it 10 days at a time. 30 !! That is awesome. You should be totally cleansed and ready for some good CLEAN food. I admire your commitment! Vikki3014 days ago